Sewing Techniques

Hot tips to sassy up your summer wardrobe

Hot summer tips to update your wardrobe with a little sewing ingenuity provided by Sue Locke

1. Give a strapless evening dress a designer finish by adding a piece of fan-shaped fabric to the top edge of the centre front. Draw your fan on paper first then pleat it all the way round. Pin the lower edge to the top front edge of your dress to check the proportions before cutting your fabric. This is ideal for stiff fabrics like taffeta, for something softer add some interfacing.

2.  Here’s a way to freshen up a plain bright t-shirt, first, make a template in stiff card of a palm tree. Place the tree on your t-shirt and draw round the design several times then fill in each silhouette with black fabric paint.

3. If you’ve made a dress and it’s come up just too short then partner it with some leggings or narrow legged trousers.

4. Give an exotic finish to some plain suede court shoes by adding toning feathers to the heel area.

5. Give a simple summer shift a unique edge by sewing 2 or 3 co-ordinating strips of wide satin ribbon down the left front from shoulder to hem.

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6. Add some shape to a tunic length t-shirt by adding several rows of shirring elastic to the waist area.

7. Tired of skirts and trousers for work? How about some beautifully tailored shorts in linen and then go on to make a matching jacket – the perfect summer suit.

8. Give a cloth bag a funky fashion by sewing on an enormous spotty bow.

9. Biker jackets are big news this year. Find a leather jacket in a thrift shop and customise it yourself.

10. If you’re struggling to find a summer camisole then try the nightwear department of local stores. Sew on strips of colourful ribbon or lace to give it a daywear feel.